Search - Jackie Mclean :: Alt Madness

Very good for everyone, essential if you love McLean

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 08/31/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Very good session by two great alto sax players Jenkins and McLean. This album is really consistent, very good from the beginning to the end. The tunes are a medium fast blues, an anatoll ("rhythmn" changes) a couple of standards, a medium up tempo (Tramp) and a very well played ballad, "Easy Living" and last an original medium fast bop tune. This album is very famous so I was expecting it to be one of the greatest of the period (1957). I think it's really a great collection of tunes however it's not one of those absolutly essential record (five stars) .. and not one of those that give me the greatest emotions actually. Probably due to the fact that the guys are not my favourite alto players even if I like them very much. Anyway the playing is aggressive, inspired and consistent. A great album, four full stars. If you love McLean's harsh sound and fragmented phrases chances are that you'll absolutly love this album. I prefer "Phil & Quill" for example (another two altos album from the same 1957) because I love Woods much more than McLean (the two leaders of the two records). Woods is a pure parkerian which is my kind of player. McLean is a different less flashy, less technical and more arsh, aggressive. My taste."